Engine.



No. 725,911. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

W. A. ALSTERLUND.

ENGINE.

' APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 14. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ANDREW ALSTERLUND, OF MOLINE,.ILLINOIS.

' EVNIGEII'N E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersfPatent No. 725,911, dated April21, 1903. Application'iiled August,1 l=,190 2. seal No. 119,674. (Nomodel.)

as will enable othersskilled in the art to which:

it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to direct-acting sin-. gle or multiple cylinderengines, and has for its object to provide an engine of this typewherein a plurality of inlet-ports are arranged in the sides of thecylinders in such relation to the stroke of the piston that when one ofthe ports is opened steam is admitted within the cylinder for only aportion of the stroke of the piston, and upon the opening of afurtherport or ports'steam'is admitted for a greater portion of the whole'ofthe stroke. The inlet valve may be moved only far enough to open one ofthe ports, but may also have sufficient movement to open one or moreadditional ports, so i that the engine may be operated fora portion orfor the whole stroke While under boiler-pressure.

With this object in view the invention consists of certain novelcombinations and arrangements of parts for effecting this result, thesame being applicable to engines having one, two, three, or morecylinders. I have shown only a one-cylinder engine herein asillustrating such parts as are deemednecessary to a full understandingof the invention; but it is to be understood that any approved form andconstruction of frame and other necessary parts and connections may beemployed.

Referring to the drawing, the figure represents a vertical sectionalview throughone of the cylinders and its piston, also showing theinlet-valve and its casing.

In the drawing, 1 denotes the cylinder, furnished with two inlet portsor passages 2 and 3, leading from thevalve-casing 4 into the interior ofthe cylinder. The cylinder is closed bya head at its outer end and opensat its inner end into the chamber 5, within which the crank-shaft 6 islocated. The ports 2 and 3 communicate with the interior of the cylin-.der', as before stated, and are controlled by meansof a slide valve 7in a manner that v will be hereinafter described. This valve is locatedwithin the valve-casing4 and is connected'to a hand-operated lever 8 bymeans of the link 9, which is pivoted to the end of the valve-rod 10,and by means of this lever the valve may be raised or lowered asoccasion may demand.

' The piston 11,-prefera-bly of the trunk class,

is connected to the engine crank-shaft 6 by means of the connecting-rod12, the upper end of which is of spherical shape and loosely mountedwithin the head of the piston by means of the bracket 13, which isprovided with an annular concave seat to receive the same. The bracketis rigidly secured to the pistonhead by'any well-known fastening means.

Upon the upper end of the piston-connecting rod' 12 and arranged so asto rock therewith is the oscillating valve 14, which is provided with asuitable steam-passage 15, by means of which the admission and exhaustof. steam to and from the cylinder is regulated. The valve-casing 4 ismounted upon the side of the cylinder and is provided with the slidingvalve 7, as before stated, the same being adapted to be so set andregulated that steam may be admitted into the cylinder during only partof the pistons stroke or for its whole stroke. This valve 7 has asteam-pas- .sage 24t'running lengthwise of the same for the purpose ofpermitting a portion of the steam that enters the inlet-port 16'toescape to the opposite side of the valve, and thereby balance the same.In order that the valve may be firmly held inits different positions,any well-known locking means maybeprovidedas, for instance, thespringcatch shown at 25 in the drawings. This valvecasing is providedwith a steam-admission port 16 for supplying steam to the cylindereither through steam-port 2, in which case steam enters for :half astroke, or through both parts 2 and 3, in which case port 2 allows steamto enter for the first half of the stroke and port 3 for the remainderof the stroke. With the valve in the position shown in the figure steamis admitted to the valvecasing through the steam-port 2 into thesteam-passage 17, with which the said port communicates at the beginningof the stroke of the piston and then passes to the steampassage 15 andout through the steam-port 18 in the head of the piston to the spaceabove the piston. As soon as steam has been admitted into the spaceabove the piston the piston begins its initial stroke, the steamentering, as above described, and operating upon the upper surface ofthe piston-head with full boiler-pressure for only one half of itsstroke, whereupon the steam is cut off by movement of the piston whichcloses the port in the cylinder during the latter portion of the stroke,and thus allows the steam which has entered the cylinder to actexpansively during the remainder of the stroke. At this point the pistonbegins to make its return stroke by reason of the momentum of the engineor otherwise, the inlet-valve having rocked within the piston-head tosuch a 'posi-- tion as to close the valve-passage 17, cutting off allcommunication between steam-passages 17 and the valve-port 18 andopening up communication between the said port 18 and the steam-passage19, also located in the piston-head. It will thus be seen that the steamwhich has entered the space above the piston and has acted to drive thepiston for its whole stroke, part by direct boilerpressure and part byexpansion of the steam, may nowduring the return stroke of the pistonexhaust through the communicating ports and passages, as abovedmentionednamely, 18, 15, and 19and pass through openings 20 :20 in thebracket 13 to the crank-shaft chamber 5 below. When the steam reachesthe chamber, it is free to exhaust through the passage 21 in the lowerpart of the cylinder and out into the valve-casing 4, passing into thespace 22 around the piston-valve and thence out through the exhaust-port23. When it is desired that the steam should enter the cylinder duringthe whole stroke of the piston, thus allowing the steam to act with fullboiler-pressu re during such complete stroke, the inlet-valve is loweredby means of the operating-handle 8, so as to open both of thesteam-ports 2 and 3, which allows the steam to first enter through theport 2, as above described, for half the stroke, whereupon by themovement of the piston itself the steamport 2 is closed, and thesteam-port 3, which has been closed by reason of the piston covering thesame during the first half of the stroke, is now opened to allow steamto be admitted for the remainder of the stroke. It will be understoodthat when steam is allowed to enter the cylinder and act upon the pistonwith full boiler-pressure during the whole stroke the inlet-valve ismoved to uncover both ports; but steam enters only one of them at atime, for the reason that the piston itself shuts off one port Whilesteam is entering through the other.

Provision is made for the reversing of the engine, which is accomplishedby lifting the valve 7 to such a position within the valvecasing thatthe lower part of said valve shall be positioned above the outlet of theexhaustpassage 21, and the two inlet-ports 2 and 3 and the exhaust-port23 register with the space around the valve 7. In this position of thevalve steam enters the valve-casing and passes directly to. the oppositeside of the valve 7 through the passage-way 24: and is conducted throughthe steam-passage 21 to the chamber 5, whereupon it acts upon the underside of the piston and drives the engine in a reverse direction, usingthe two inlet-ports 2 and 3 for the exhaust, the exhauststeam passingtherethrough into the space 22 around the valve and out through theexhaust-port 23, which also registers with the space 22 when the valveis in this position.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes from thecombinations herein shown and described may be made, and I wouldtherefore have it understood that I do not limit myself 'to the precisedetails herein shown, but hold myself at liberty to make such changesand alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

It will of course be understood that my improved engine may use as themotive agency gas, compressed air, steam, or any other suitableexpansive fluid.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an engine, thecombination with the cylinder having a plurality of inlet-ports, of apiston adapted to successively open and close communication between saidports and one side of the piston, and a valve adapted to admit steamthrough one or more of said ports, substantially as specified.

2. In an engine, the combination with a cylinder having a pluralityot'ports therein, of a piston having a live-steam passage, an exhaust-steam passage, and an intermediate port, an oscillating valve foralternately establishing communication between said ports and passages,and a valve for admitting steam through one or more of the ports in thecylinder; substantially as specified.

3. In an engine, the combination witha cylinder having a plurality oflive-steam ports and an exhaust-passage, of a piston having alive-steampassage adapted to communicate with the live-steam ports of the cylinderand also having a steam-port and an exhaust-passage, an oscillatingvalve for alternately establishing communication between said port andpassages in the piston, and a valve for admitting steam to one or moreof the livesteam ports in the cylinder; substantially as specified.

at. In an engine, the combination with acylinder having a plurality oflive-steam ports IIO and an exhaust-passage, of a piston having alive-steam passage adapted to communicate with the live-steam ports ofthe cylinder, and

also having a steam-port and an exhaust-passage, a pitman having anoscillating connection with the piston and carryinga valve foralternately establishing communication between said port and passages inthe piston,

and a valve for admitting steam to one or more of the live-steam portsin the cylinder. 10

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM ANDREW ALS'lERLUND.

WVitnesses:

WM. E. CLARK, W. G. SOHOTT.

